Pride in Rigel City had been a fun little distraction for a while, and Varland had won himself even more eggs while he’d been there. He was quite pleased about it, especially since he’d won a relic silver which had netted him a decent amount of cash. With it, he’d decked out his egg carrier, and now it could carry another two eggs each plastered to his sides. The other two he simply cradled in his arms as he walked. It wasn’t the best set-up, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be apart from any of them at this point. He’d feel bad if he cushioned one in his bag by itself, or if he’d asked Kaleo to hold onto one for a little while they explored the route a bit before their next filming session. No, he would just have to make do until they started hatching. It was a little unwieldy to carry them all this way, but it made him feel the most comfortable.


While they were exploring, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to do a bit of training. Both Prima and Melvin needed to get a little stronger if he were to consider challenging a few of the gyms that lie ahead, and they’d need to keep up with Kaleo if he were going to keep doing this mysterious rival thing. Speaking of, he’d have to start thinking of some kind of backstory for himself; not something he’d ever thought of himself doing, but it could be kind of fun. Prima and Melvin were both out of their balls as they casually strolled down the route, keeping an eye out for any wild Pokemon they could potentially practice against. In the meantime, he figured they would have some ideas for this backstory of his.


“So? What do you guys think? I know I have to be all mysterious right now, but what do you think about where I should take this character?” he asked, and Prima nodded knowingly.


< You’re a runaway from a bad household, > she said, and Varland was surprised how close to the mark she’d been with that one. He hadn’t told a soul yet that he was technically a runaway, so it was probably just something she’d read in one of her novels before. < You’re damaged goods, but you’re on this journey to try to heal, to learn how to open yourself back up again. In Avarice, you eventually find a true friend. You push each other to become better, and over time your rivalry takes another turn- >


“Prima, I know what you’re about to say, but this isn’t one of your books. We can’t just use a romance novel backstory,” Varland sighed, glad to have interrupted her before she got too…graphic. She huffed, giving him a light glare.


< Well if that’s the case, why ask me at all? That’s my area of expertise, my dear manservant. If you want something else, you’ll have to look elsewhere. > Varland glanced down and met Melvin’s eyes for a moment before the bug quickly looked away.


< I-I’ve never thought about this kind of thing, so I wouldn’t really know, > he stammered, and Varland had figured that was the answer he’d get out of him. He smiled though, trying to show the Wimpod he wasn’t upset or anything.


“Hey, that’s okay! I’ll just have to figure something out myself. We’ve got plenty of time, thankfully, so no rush,” he replied, trying to comfort Melvin, and it seemed to have worked at least a little bit if his tiny smile was any indication. For now, he’d just have to keep his eye out for those wild Pokemon. Maybe not for the first one, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to practice with the camera some more during one battle. He was still having troubles adjusting it in the thick of the action, and he could use all the practice he could get. He’d just have to remember to delete the footage after he’d reviewed it later on.